An 11-year-old boy from Gujarat’s Kheda district died after he was attacked by a lion near the 50th step of the Girnar Staircase during a pre-dawn pilgrimage on Saturday, an official said, adding that the forest department closed the road until further orders and captured three lions.
According to Akshay Joshi, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Girnar Wildlife Division, the victim has been identified as Mayur Chauhan. He had traveled to Girnar with his family on a pilgrimage and started climbing the hill in the early hours and was attacked near the 50th step. Forest department personnel, trackers and veterinarians launched a search operation and later recovered the remains of the child from the forest.
Raj Vajdoda, a pilgrim from Palanpur, said he and his brother started climbing around 3.45 am and reached the 50th or 55th step around the step when they heard people screaming behind them.
“We went back about 10 steps and saw some people lighting torches in the lion’s face, harassing him and shouting. The lion seemed disturbed. This may have prompted the lion to attack the child later,” Vajdoda told reporters.
Joshi said officials first captured a lion suspected of carrying out the attack. During the veterinary examination, the lion vomited human body parts, confirming his involvement. Two more suspected lions were later arrested and the three will be taken to Sakkarbaug Zoo in Junagadh for further examination, he added.
Home to numerous Hindu and Jain temples, Girnar Hill is one of the most important pilgrimage centers in Gujarat and attracts thousands of devotees daily. Some pilgrims said parts of the stairs were poorly lit because some lights along the way were not working after recent rains.
